Power for brush or blade devices used in vacuum cleaning is commonly provided by fractional horsepower electric motors or by a turbine air motor. The brush or blade is usually driven by a belt powered by the electric or turbine air motor.
Electric motors require an electric cord connection between a wall or other outlet and the brush or blade device. This electric cord is inconvenient to use and presents an additional safety hazard.
The turbine air motor converts air flow energy into rotary motion through a momentum transfer between the turbine moving surfaces and the air. Turbine air motors are ineffective in providing power at low speeds and/or at low air flows. Therefore, turbine air motors run at high speeds, compared to a speed necessary for a carpet cleaning, generating an objectionable noise and performing poorly when heavily loaded. Turbine air motors require high air flow and do not adequately function on lower powered vacuum cleaners or systems.
Both the electric and air powered turbine motors provide a rotary motion to, for example, a brush to agitate the dust and objects to be picked-up by the vacuum system. The brush may be belt driven or directly driven by the electric motor or air turbine.
The objective of the invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art brush/blade vacuum cleaning device motors and to provide a more convenient, safer air powered brush/blade cleaning device that can be used with a broader range of cleaning devices and systems.